Fluffy Pancake Extravaganza!

"The key dietary messages are stunningly simple: Eat less, move more, eat more fruits and vegetables, and don't eat too much junk food. It's no more complicated than that."

- Marion Nestle

Fluffy, Crispy, Creamy Pancakes!

The Holidays are long over.  Spring keeps poking its sunny head around the corner.  Yet you find yourself with mass amounts of left over cream cheese that's on the cusp of going to waste.  What are you to do?

Fluffy Pancake Extravaganza of course!

These pancakes are fluffy, crispy, creamy, not the least bit healthy and are damn good.  Cream cheese and copious amounts of butter makes everything better.  Don't hold back, pack mass amounts of both into this recipe, you will not be disappointed:

What You Need:

• 1 Stick Butter (if not more)
• 2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
• 1 Cup Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• Dash of Salt
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Dash of Ginger
• Dash of Nutmeg
• 1 Spoonful of Honey
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup Water (Milk, Milk Alternative, or Butter Milk can also be used)
• 2 Dashes of Vanilla Extract (preferably homemade)
• Was Butter Mentioned?!

What You Do:

• Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in pan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, add all dry ingredients to a bowl: Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg.
• Mix dry ingredients together well.
• Now add wet ingredients* to the same bowl: Honey, Egg, Water, Cream Cheese, Vanilla Extract and the Melted Butter!
• Throw a few more tablespoons of butter in the skillet to melt in preparation for the batter!
• Mix all ingredients - Do Not Overmix!  You still want it to be a little bit lumpy and at milkshake consistency.  A little lumpy = air pockets = airy goodness!
• Add batter to melted butter.
• Once bubbles start forming, it's time to flip!  (lift up the bottom of the pancake to check for golden brown if you're not sure).
• Give the other side a minute or two, check for golden brownness.
• Serve and enjoy!
• Melt a few more tablespoons of butter in the skillet in between each and every pancake so each pancake has maximum flavor and golden brownness.

Video Tutorial

You may be asking yourself, why does a "junk food" recipe exist here on this seemingly "healthy" blog?

Moderation is key, I am human, and this is a damn tasty recipe.  It's made a few times a year, at most, usually for special occasions.  When you eat something like this sparingly, it makes it even more of a treat.  If this were to be made every single weekend then it would certainly lose its luster, plus you better be making weekly visits to your doctor if that's the case.  Also, processed sugar does not exist in this recipe, only honey, making it one of the healthier pancake recipes (in my eyes) which is then offset with the cream cheese and butter.

Everything in moderation!

*This recipe will work out best if the wet ingredients are mixed together separately, then you can really mix the wet ingredients really well together.  Then add to the dry ingredients then at that point be sure to not overmix.  This creates more work and extra dishes though so I normally don't do it this way - unless I'm cooking for someone else and want the absolute best product possible.  Less dishes = better in my book.

Tips:  If the outside of your pancakes are done but the inside is still doughy (not cooked), then your heat is too high.  Medium heat usually works out well, do not use higher heat.  Add chocolate chips or any sort of berry to kick it up a notch!